This invention relates to accessory tanks for agricultural equipment, and in particular to easily attachable and detachable saddle tanks for agricultural vehicles.
Agricultural vehicles, such as tractors, and the like are provided with auxiliary liquid storage tanks mounted on the sides of the tractor for transporting fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, gasoline, water, and a vast variety of other fluids substances used in agriculture. These accessory side tanks are generally termed saddle tanks, and provide additional fluid carrying capacity for the tractor without the draw backs associated with a trailer drawn tank. In general, farmers require large fluid carrying capacity on their tractors only on very few occasions during the growing season, such as for spraying insecticid. However, when such liquid transportation is required, it is essential that the storage device be capable of retaining a large quantity of liquid, so as to reduce the number of trips from the field to the source of insecticide, and thereby increase time and fuel efficiency. Throughout the majority of the growing season, these large fluid storage tanks are generally not necessary to the tending of the farm, and it is therefore preferable that the tanks be removed from the tractor so as to reduce the tractor weight, improve the maneuverability of the tractor, and to access other areas of the tractor for attaching different accessories thereto. As previously noted, the saddle tanks are preferably quite large so as to provide maximum liquid storage capacity, and are consequently quite heavy and cumbersome to manipulate. Heretofore, the attachment of saddle tanks to the tractor has required at least two persons, and has required a considerable amount of time and effort.